


The Missing Louis Vuitton

by sfabulousity



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, Established Relationship, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 09:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3322355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sfabulousity/pseuds/sfabulousity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur lost his wallet one day. Merlin came to his aid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Missing Louis Vuitton

“You lose a wallet or keys or something and you notice in a second, but your life can go missing and you don't even know it.” -John Dufresne

 

**06:34 February 9, 2015**

Merlin woke to the continuous vibration of his iPhone. Groggily, he patted the bedside table, nearly knocking his copy of Tim Harford’s The Undercover Economist off the nightstand.

He squinted. 

Six missed calls and three text messages; all from Arthur. 

_Have you seen my wallet? 06:01_

_Wake up. 06:04_

_Have you seen my wallet? 06:25_

Merlin groaned, deciding to ignore his boyfriend, and went back under the covers. 

 

**07:01 February 9, 2015**

As Merlin turned his alarm off, he noticed two more messages. 

Yawning, he replied. _No_. 

Within a few seconds, just as Merlin was about to step into the bathroom, towel on his shoulder - his phone beeped.

_Where is it then?_

With a face, Merlin typed; _how should I know?_

 

**09:25 February 9, 2015**

Merlin checked his phone - Arthur hasn’t texted anything since early morning. 

The economist sighed. Biting into his salmon and cream cheese bagel, he sent Arthur a message. _Found your wallet?_

A message came in. _Not yet._

Merlin began to type, but Arthur beat him to it. Merlin couldn’t help but to smile as he picked up the call. 

“Are you sure you haven’t seen my wallet?” Arthur spoke just as soon as Merlin put his phone to his ear.

“Well hello love, good morning to you too.” 

He heard Arthur grumble. 

“When did you last see it?” Merlin asked, finding it amusing how Arthur had magically turned into a morning person over a missing wallet.

“Yesterday.” 

“Well obviously, you weren’t this irritating yesterday.” Merlin smirked into his iPhone.

“If you’re not going to help, then, bye. I have a case to work on.” Arthur grunted.

 

**13:36 February 9, 2015**

“Look, Arthur, just buy a new one yeah?” Merlin suggested. As he noticed Arthur’s aneurism face, he then added, “Heck, _I’ll_ buy you if you keep sulking like this.”

Arthur loudly crunched on his salad, as if making a point. 

“How much did you even put in it?” questioned Merlin, absentmindedly. If Arthur could get his cufflinks exclusively flown from Sweden, why would he even bother over a humble, aged, wallet?

Arthur stared blankly. Merlin was starting to believe that Arthur was giving eye daggers to everyone in the restaurant, perhaps even his boyfriend.

“There’s no money in the wallet, just - there is - you know what, whatever. I don’t care.”

 

**18:12 February 9, 2015**

Having finished the work at his office, Merlin dropped by at Pendragon & Associates.

“Hi, Gwen.” Merlin greeted Gwen, Arthur’s secretary, and handed her a box of cookies from the cafe down the street.

“Afternoon, Mr. Emrys!” Gwen chimed as she took the cookies, beaming. “Thanks. You shouldn’t have to, you know.” 

Merlin smiled back. He spotted Arthur through the transparent glass wall. The lawyer was rummaging through his drawer, pulling out files and papers, and setting them onto his computer desk.

“He’s going crazy, said his wallet is missing,” Gwen commented.

They both then walked in into Arthur’s office, much to the latter’s annoyance. “What?” Arthur questioned, crossing his arms. His usually immaculate shirt was crumpled, and his hair was disheveled.

“I swear, Gwen, he’s been treating me like trash.” Merlin fake-whined, taking his seat on one of the office leather chairs.

Gwen tried her best to hide her laughter.

Arthur observed Merlin and Gwen, realising that they were waiting for an explanation. Finally, he sighed. “I’m just in a bad mood today, that’s all.”  

 

**19:50 February 9, 2015**

Dinner was unusually quiet, Arthur still upset. 

“If you desperately need a wallet, I could give you my own. It’s still a Ferragamo,” Merlin smirked, sinking into the sofa in attempt to make himself comfortable. 

Arthur threw a pillow at him. “Idiot.”

 

**22:43 February 9, 2015**

After Arthur left, Merlin watched Top Gun for another hour, before giving up to exhaustion.

He stood up from the sofa, unfortunately a little too quick, and slipped, landing bottom first onto the carpet.

“Oh for the love of-“ Merlin began, but stopped short as his gaze fell onto a leathery object poking out from under the sofa. 

Gingerly, he fished it out.

He grinned. It was a black Louis Vuitton, with a little wear and tear. 

Merlin knew he shouldn’t open it, but _hey_ … _a little curiosity wouldn’t hurt_.

Merlin expected a wad of cash inside, or multiple Platinum bank cards, but what he saw surprised him more than he expected it to.

No money, no credit card. 

There was just a Polaroid picture of him and Arthur, taken by Gwen; Arthur’s arm slung around Merlin’s shoulder, Merlin giving Arthur a peck on the cheek, on their third anniversary. 

Merlin felt his lips curl into a genuine smile.

 

**22:47 February 9, 2015**

_Found it!!!_

It was not even a second before Merlin’s phone vibrated. _Merlin don’t you dare open it. That’s mine._

Merlin snickered. _already did._

Ten seconds later, when Merlin was beginning to wonder if he _had_ pressed Send, a reply came in.

_You’re going to die. I’m going to end you._

 

Merlin knew how empty Arthur’s threat is, and smiled to himself, feeling something warm and fuzzy inside. 

 

 

sfab

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Below is the original submission on LGMH, one which this story is inspired by. 
> 
> LGMH: My boyfriend, Justin, lost his wallet one day. I texted him good morning at 6AM, getting a reply saying he was at school where we were the night before, a good 20 blocks away, looking for it. I wonder what was in it that made him so eager to find it... I found it at my house. No money, no change. Just the first letter I had ever written him.


End file.
